Finding aid for the Abram Amsel papers


Title:
Abram Amsel papers
Repository:
Drs. Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology
Phone: 330-972-7285
http://www.uakron.edu/chp
Creator:
Amsel, Abram
Dates:
1944-1998
Quantity:
19.14 linear feet (58 boxes)
Abstract:
The Abram Amsel papers are a reflection of his work in research of learning, memory, and developmental psychobiology. The collection consists of reviews, manuscripts, and publications that mirror Amsel's interests during his career.
Identification:
p15960coll10/id/5
Location:
Boxes M3424-M3482; M1720, M1721, M1722
Language:
The records are in English

Biography of Abram Amsel

Abram Amsel was born in Montreal Canada, December 4th, 1922. Amsel received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens University in 1944, his Masters degree from McGill University in 1946, and his doctorate from the University of Iowa in 1948. After graduating, Amsel worked as an assistant professor at Tulane University from 1948-1960, professor at the University of Toronto from 1960-1969, and the University of Texas at Austin from 1969 until he retired in 1999 as Professor Emeritus. Amsel died on August 31, 2006 at the age of 83.

Amsel is best known as a learning theorist and his development and systematic study of frustration theory. Over the course of his academic career he published numerous works, three of which are considered citation classics in the area of learning. His work on frustration is summarized in his book Frustration Theory: An Analysis of Dispositional Learning and Memory. Amsel was also active in numerous professional organizations in various capacities including committee work and governing boards, editor and consulting editor, and reviewer of federal grants for the National Science Academy. He was recognized as a fellow in the American Psychological Society, American Association of Advancement of Science, American Psychological Association, and International Society for Develomental Psychobiology. In addition, Amsel was the recipient of the Howard Crosby Warren Medal for outstanding research in Psychology in 1980, and appointed to National Academy of Sciences in 1992.

Scope and Content

The papers of Abram Amsel contain his extensive research on learning, memory, and developmental psychobiology from the late 1940s to late 1990s. A unique aspect of this collection is the possession of draft revisions and editorial feedback for several of the manuscripts, as well as unpublished works authored by Amsel. Information related to the manuscripts is presented in chronological order, often with the copy of a reprint at the front of the folder and the rough or first draft at the back. In addition to these research materials, this collection contains notes, reviews of his work, syllabi of courses, and presentations given by Amsel throughout his career. This collection als documents Amsel's involvement with professional affiliations such as the American Psychological Association and others as a consultant, member, editor`, officer, and acknowledge scholar.

Statement of Arrangement

Abram Amsel papers are arranged into the following series:
Series 1: Biological Materials
Series 2: Correspondence
Series 3: Research
Series 4: Presentations
Series 5: Research/Grants
Series 6: Reviews
Series 7: Professional Affiliations
Series 8: Academic Materials
Series 9: Theses and Dissertations

Restrictions on Use

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

Separated Material: Separated Material

Theses from Amsel's doctoral students are located in boxes M1720, M1721, M1722 in the oversized stacks.


Subject Headings

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Aggression
Animal Behavior
Behavior Research
Frustration
Learning
Neurosciences
Psychologists
Psychology
Psychology, Experimental

Persons:

Amsel, Abram

Material Types:

Manuscripts

Preferred Citation

Cite as: [identification of item], [folder number, box number], Archives of the History of American Psychology, The Drs. Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology - The University of Akron

Acquisition Information

The Abram Amsel papers were donated to the Center for the History of Psychology by Geoffrey Amsel in 2006.

Processing Information

The Abram Amsel papers were processed by Tim Rogers in February 2007. Updated by Samantha Hurst, October 2021.


Detailed Description of The Collection



Series 1: Amsel Biographical Materials, 1947-2007; undated

Box M3424 / Folder 1
Awards, 1947-1992




Box M3424 / Folder 2
Amsel Family History, 1996




Box M3424 / Folder 3
Amsel Career, 1971




Box M3424 / Folder 4
Amsel Curriculum Vita, 1971-1992





Series 2: Correspondence, 1923-2000

Box M3425 / Folder 1
Correspondence between Kenneth Spence and Clark Hull, 1923-1940




Box M3425 / Folder 2
Correspondence between Kenneth Spence and Clark Hull, 1941-1952




Box M3425 / Folder 3
Professional Correspondence, General, 1948-1959




Box M3426 / Folder 1
Professional Correspondence, General, 1960-1964




Box M3426 / Folder 2
Professional Correspondence, General, 1965-1969




Box M3426 / Folder 3
Professional Correspondence, General, 1970-1971




Box M3427 / Folder 1
Professional Correspondence, General, 1972-1973




Box M3427 / Folder 2
Professional Correspondence, General, 1974-1975




Box M3427 / Folder 3
Professional Correspondence, General, 1976-1977




Box M3428 / Folder 1
Professional Correspondence, General, 1978-1979




Box M3428 / Folder 2
Professional Correspondence, General, 1980-1981




Box M3428 / Folder 3
Professional Correspondence, General, 1982




Box M3429 / Folder 1
Professional Correspondence, General, 1983




Box M3429 / Folder 2
Professional Correspondence, General, 1984-1985




Box M3429 / Folder 3
Professional Correspondence, General, 1986-1987




Box M3430 / Folder 1
Professional Correspondence, General, 1988-1989




Box M3430 / Folder 2
Professional Correspondence, General, 1990




Box M3430 / Folder 3
Professional Correspondence, General, 1991




Box M3431 / Folder 1
Professional Correspondence, General, 1992-1994




Box M3431 / Folder 2
Professional Correspondence, General, 1995-1997




Box M3431 / Folder 3
Professional Correspondence, General, 1998-2000





Series 3: Research, 1951-1999; undated




Subseries 1: Manscripts and Student Papers, ca. 1940s-1990s

Physical Location : Boxes M3432-M3444

Scope and Content
Box M3432 contains 9 folders of student papers and unpublished works by Amsel, ca. 1940s-1950s.Box M3433 contains 13 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1950s.Box M3434 contains 15 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1960s.Box M3435 contains 13 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1960s.Box M3436 contains 18 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1960s.Box M3437 contains 10 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1970s.Box M3438 contains 15 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1970s.Box M3439 contains 12 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1980s.Box M3440 contains 6 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1980s.Box M3441 contains 12 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1990s.Box M3442 contains 12 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1990s.Box M3443 contains 6 folders of Amsel research papers, ca. 1990s.Box M3444 contains 5 folders of Amsel research papers, undated.




Subseries 2: Monograph Manuscripts, undated

Physical Location : M3445-M3446

Scope and Content
Box M3445 contains 5 folders of Amsel monograph manuscripts, undated.Box M3446 contains 1 folder of Amsel monograph manuscripts, undated.




Subseries 3: Frustration Theory Manuscript, undated

Physical Location : Box M3447

Scope and Content
Box M3447 contains 9 folders of Frustration Theory manuscript.


Series 4: Presentations, 1957-1998; undated

Physical Location : Boxes M3448-M3451

Scope and Content
Box M3448 contains 4 folders of presentations, 1957-1969 and undated.Box M3449 contains 2 folders of presentations, 1970-1979.Box M3450 contains 1 folder of presentations, 1980-1984.Box M3451 contains 3 folders of presentations, 1985-1998.


Series 5: Research Grants, ca. 1940s-1998

Physical Location : M3452-M3457

Scope and Content
Box M3452 contains 8 folders of research grants, 1965-1998. Box M3453 contains 8 folders of research grants, 1964-1999. Box M3454 contains 6 folders of research grants, 1965-1995. Box M3455 contains 4 folders of research grants, 1960-1984.Box M3456 contains 6 folders of research grant reviews, 1960-1998.Box M3457 contains 4 folders of research grant experiments, ca. 1940s-1970s and undated.


Series 6: Reviews, 1960-1999

Physical Location : Boxes M3458-M3459

Scope and Content
Box M3458 contains 8 folders of journal reviews, 1975-1999 and undated.Box M3459 contains 4 folders of journal reviews, 1960-1996.


Series 7: Professional Affiliations, 1950-1998

Box M3460 / Folder 1
American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, 1996-1998




Box M3460 / Folder 2
Center for the Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, 1986-1987




Box M3460 / Folder 3
Institute for Neuroscience, 1996-1998




Box M3460 / Folder 4
Various International Organizations, 1974-1983




Box M3460 / Folder 5
National Academy of Sciences, 1991-1998




Box M3461 / Folder 1
National Institute of Mental Health, 1975-1979




Box M3461 / Folder 2
Psychonomic Society, ca. 1960s-1978




Box M3461 / Folder 3
Various Publishers, 1985-1995




Box M3461 / Folder 4
Quest, 1984-1988




Box M3461 / Folder 5
Society of Experimental Psychologists, 1976-1994




Box M3462 / Folder 1
Various Universities, ca. 1950s-1990s




Box M3462 / Folder 2
Various Universities, ca. 1950s




Box M3462 / Folder 3
Various Organizations, ca. 1950s-1980s





Series 8: Academic Materials, 1946-1997

Box M3463 / Folder 1
Annual Reports of Academic Activities, 1969-1998




Box M3463 / Folder 2
Behavior Theory Course Materials, 1950-1953




Box M3463 / Folder 3
Conditioning and Learning Course Materials, 1961-1968




Box M3463 / Folder 4
Developmental Psychobiology Course Materials, 1981




Box M3463 / Folder 5
Developmental Psychobiology Course Materials, 1986




Box M3464 / Folder 1
Developmental Psychobiology Course Materials, 1976-1992




Box M3464 / Folder 2
Development, Memory and the Brain Course Materials, 1972-1997




Box M3464 / Folder 3
Development, Memory and the Brain Course Materials, 1968-1996




Box M3464 / Folder 4
Development, Learning and the Brain Course Materials, 1996




Box M3465 / Folder 1
Experimental Psychology, 1956-1958




Box M3465 / Folder 2
Experimental Psychology, 1946-1956




Box M3465 / Folder 3
Exam Questions, 1958-1963




Box M3466 / Folder 1
Laboratory Paperwork for Drugs and Equipment, 1978-2000




Box M3466 / Folder 2
Laboratory Paperwork for Animals, 1978-1991




Box M3466 / Folder 3
Laboratory Summaries and Procedures, 1975-1999




Box M3466 / Folder 4
Learning Course Materials, 1982




Box M3466 / Folder 5
Learning and Memory Course Materials, 1969-1995




Box M3466 / Folder 6
Learning and Memory Course Tests, 1968-1992




Box M3467 / Folder 1
Learning and Memory Course Lectures, 1997




Box M3467 / Folder 2
Learning and Memory Course Lectures, 1992




Box M3467 / Folder 3
Learning and Memory Course Lectures, undated




Box M3467 / Folder 4
Learning and Memory Course Lectures, undated




Box M3467 / Folder 5
Learning and Memory Course Lectures, undated




Box M3468 / Folder 1
Learning and Memory Course Lectures, undated




Box M3468 / Folder 2
Learning and Memory Course Lectures, undated




Box M3468 / Folder 3
Learning and Memory Course Evaluations, 1974-1976




Box M3468 / Folder 4
Various Lectures, undated




Box M3468 / Folder 5
Theories of Learning Course Materials, 1947




Box M3469 / Folder 1
Principles of Neuroscience Course Outline, 1991




Box M3469 / Folder 2
Psychology Honors Program, 1985




Box M3469 / Folder 3
Research Seminars, 1968-1979




Box M3469 / Folder 4
Seminars, Course Outlines and Notes, 1960-1980




Box M3469 / Folder 5
Seminars, Course Outlines and Notes, 1946-1958




Box M3469 / Folder 6
Seminars, Course Outlines and Notes, 1947-1965




Box M3470 / Folder 1
Anxiety and Rote Learning, undated




Box M3470 / Folder 2
Factor Analysis, 1947




Box M3470 / Folder 3
Foundations of Measurement: Psychological Tests, 1946




Box M3470 / Folder 4
General Motivation, undated




Box M3470 / Folder 5
General Perception, 1947




Box M3470 / Folder 6
General Psychology, undated




Box M3470 / Folder 7
Introductory Statistics, undated




Box M3471 / Folder 1
Physiology, 1944-1945




Box M3471 / Folder 2
Psychology -- Abnormal and General, 1942-1944




Box M3471 / Folder 3
Psychoacoustics, undated




Box M3471 / Folder 4
Quantitative Methods, 1948




Box M3471 / Folder 5
Theoretical Interpretation of Learning, undated


Box M3471 / Volume 1
Action and Emotion, undated


Box M3471 / Volume 2
Systematic Psychology, undated


Box M3472 / Volume 1
Miscellaneous bound and typewritten notes, undated


Box M3472 / Volume 2
Amsel Doctoral Thesis, 1948




Box M3471 / Volume 1
Action and Emotion, undated




Box M3471 / Volume 2
Systematic Psychology, undated




Box M3472 / Volume 1
Miscellaneous bound and typewritten notes, undated




Box M3472 / Volume 2
Amsel Doctoral Thesis, 1948





Series 9: Theses and Dissertations, various dates

Physical Location : oversized stacks

Scope and Content
Boxes OS100-OS102, housed in the oversized materials area, contain doctoral theses written by students in which Amsel served as chair, committee member, or person of support.